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Edward did not move until I started for the bathroom。 Then his hand caught my shoulder。
〃Where are you going？〃 His voice was a whisper of pain。
〃To brush my teeth again。〃
〃Don't worry about what she said。 It's nothing but legends； old lies for the sake of entertainment。〃
〃I didn't understand anything；〃 I told him； though it wasn't entirely true。 As if I could discount something
because it was a legend。 My life was circled by legend on every side。 They were all true。
〃I packed your toothbrush。 I'll get it for you。〃
He walked ahead of me to the bedroom。
〃Are we leaving soon？〃 I called after him。
〃As soon as you're done。〃
He waited for my toothbrush to repack it； pacing silently around the bedroom。 I handed it to him when I
was finished。
〃I'll get the bags into the boat。〃
〃Edward—〃
He turned back。 〃Yes？〃
I hesitated； trying to think of some way to get a few seconds alone。 〃Could you。。。 pack some of the
food？ You know； in case I get hungry again。〃
〃Of course；〃 he said； his eyes suddenly soft。 〃Don't worry about anything。 We'll get to Carlisle in just a
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few hours； really。 This will all be over soon。〃
I nodded； not trusting my voice。
He turned and left the room； one big suitcase in each hand。
I whirled and scooped up the phone he'd left on the counter。 It was very unlike him to forget things—to
forget that Gustavo was ing； to leave his phone lying here。 He was so stressed he was barely himself。
I flipped it open and scrolled through the preprogrammed numbers。 I was glad he had the sound turned
off； afraid that he would catch me。 Would he be at the boat now？ Or back already？ Would he hear me
from the kitchen if I whispered？
I found the number I wanted； one I had never called before in my life。 I pressed the 〃send〃 button and
crossed my fingers。
〃Hello？〃 the voice like golden wind chimes answered。
〃Rosalie？〃 I whispered。 〃It's Bella。 Please。 You have to help me。〃
BOOK TWO
Jacob
And yet； to say the truth； reason and love keep little pany together nowadays。
William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Act III； Scene i
PREFACE Life sucks； and then you die。
Yeah； I should be so lucky。
8。 WAITING FOR THE DAMN FIGHT TO START ALREADY
〃Jeez； Paul； don't you freaking have a home of your own？〃
Paul； lounging across my whole couch； watching some stupid baseball game on my crappy TV； just
grinned at me and then—real slow—he lifted one Dorito from the bag in his lap and wedged it into his
mouth in one piece。
〃You betterVe brought those with you。〃
Crunch。 〃Nope；〃 he said while chewing。 〃Your sister said to go ahead and help myself to anything I
wanted。〃
I tried to make my voice sound like I wasn't about to punch him。 〃Is Rachel here now？〃
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It didn't work。 He heard where I was going and shoved the bag behind his back。 The bag crackled as he
smashed it into the cushion。 The chips crunched into pieces。 Paul's hands came up in fists； close to his
face like a boxer。
〃Bring it； kid。 I don't need Rachel to protect me。〃
I snorted。 〃Right。 Like you wouldn't go crying to her first chance。〃
He laughed and relaxed into the sofa； dropping his hands。 〃I'm not going to go tattle to a girl。 If you got
in a lucky hit； that would be just between the two of us。 And vice versa； right？〃
Nice of him to give me an invitation。 I made my body slump like I'd given up。 〃Right。〃
His eyes shifted to the TV。
I lunged。
His nose made a very satisfying crunching sound of its own when my fist connected。 He tried to grab me；
but I danced out of the way before he could find a hold； the ruined bag of Doritos in my left hand。
〃You broke my nose； idiot。〃
〃Just between us； right； Paul？〃
I went to put the chips away。 When I turned around； Paul was repositioning his nose before it could set
crooked。
The blood had already stopped； it looked like it had no source as it trickled down his lips and off his
chin。 He cussed； wincing as he pulled at the cartilage。
〃You are such a pain； Jacob。 I swear； I'd rather hang out with Leah。〃
〃Ouch。 Wow； I bet Leah's really going to love to hear that you want to spend some quality time with her。
It'll just warm the cockles of her heart。〃
〃You're going to forget I said that。〃
〃Of course。 I'm sure it won't slip out。〃
〃Ugh；〃 he grunted； and then settled back into the couch； wiping the leftover blood on the collar of his
tshirt。 〃You're fast； kid。I'll give you that。〃 He turned his attention back to the fuzzy game。
I stood there for a second； and then I stalked off to my room； muttering about alien abductions。
Back in the day； you could count on Paul for a fight pretty much whenever。 You didn't have to hit him
then—any mild insult would do。 It didn't take a lot to flip him out of control。 Now； of course； when I
really wanted a good snarling； ripping； breakthetreesdown match； he had to be all mellow。
Wasn't it bad enough that yet another member of the pack had imprinted—because； really； that made
four of ten now！ When would it stop？ Stupid myth was supposed to be rare； for crying out loud！ All this
mandatory loveatfirstsight was pletely sickening！
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Did it have to be my sister？ Did it have to be Paul？
When Rachel'd e home from Washington State at the end of the summer semester—graduated
early； the nerd—my biggest worry'd been that it would be hard keeping the secret around her。 I wasn't
used to covering things up in my own home。 It made me real sympathetic to kids like Embry and Collin；
whose parents didn't know they were werewolves。 Embry's mom thought he was going through some
kind of rebellious stage。 He was permanently grounded for constantly sneaking out； but； of course； there
wasn't much he could do about that。 She'd check his room every night； and every night it would be empty
again。 She'd yell and he'd take it in silence； and then go through it all again the next day。 We'd tried to
talk Sam into giving Embry a break and letting his mom in on the gig； but Embry'd said he didn't mind。
The secret was too important。
So I'd been all geared up to be keeping that secret。 And then； two days after Rachel got home； Paul ran
into her on the beach。 Bada bing； bada boom—true love！ No secrets necessary when you found your
other half； and all that imprinting werewolf garbage。
Rachel got the whole story。 And I got Paul as a brotherinlaw someday。 I knew Billy wasn't much
thrilled about it； either。 But he handled it better than I did。 'Course； he did escape to the Clearwaters'
more often than usual these days。 I didn't see where that was so much better。 No Paul； but plenty of
Leah。
I wondered—would a bullet through my temple actually kill me or just leave a really big mess for me to
clean up？
I threw myself down on the bed。 I was tired—hadn't slept since my last patrol—but I knew I wasn't
going to sleep。 My head was too crazy。 The thoughts bounced around inside my skull like a disoriented
swarm of bees。 Noisy。 Now and then they stung。 Must be hors； not bees。 Bees died after one sting。
And the same thoughts were stinging me
again and again。
This waiting was driving me insane。 It had been almost four weeks。 I'd expected； one way or another；
the news would have e by now。 I'd sat up nights imagining what form it would take。
Charlie sobbing on the phone—Bella and her husband lost in an accident。 A plane crash？ That would be
hard to fake。 Unless the leeches didn't mind killing a bunch of bystanders to authenticate it； and why
would they？ Maybe a small plane instead。 They probably had one of those to spare。
Or would the murderer e home alone； unsuccessful in his attempt to make her one of them？ Or not
even getting that far。 Maybe he'd smashed her like a bag of chips in his drive to get some？ Because her
life was less important to him than his own p